Removable generator for hydrocarbon-lamps.



M. ROGKSTEAD.

REMOVABLE GENERATOR FOR HYDRDOARBON LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.14, 1910.

995,3?, Patented June 13, 1911.

1:nwggmwumummws PAEN MARTIN ROOKSTEAD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOTHE BOLTE & WEYER 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1911.

Application filed November 14, 1910. Serial No. 592,398.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN ROCKSTEAD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RemovableGenerators for Hydrocarbon-Lamps, of which the following is aspecification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide, in a hydrocarbon oilburner, an improved removable generator; to provide an improvedconstruction adapted to permit the generator to be quickly removed andreplaced without waiting for the lamp to cool, or disturbing any othermember of the structure; to provide an improved, rapid-acting,mechanically locking fluid-tight joint particularly suitable forconnecting the generator with an adjacent part; and to provide improvedmeans for supporting the generator.

A specific construction embodying this invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of ahydrocarbon gas burner, the casing being shown by a dotted outline, andan auxiliary starting torch in working position. Fig. 2 is the generatorunit removed from the lamp. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the jointbetween the generator and the fuel inlet tube.

In the structure shown, the removable generator 1 is supported at threeplaces; first, by a fluid-tight joint 2 between the generator 1 and thefuel inlet member 3, which is located outside of the lamp casing 4;second, by a strap or band 5 which is integral with the body member 6;and third, by a sliding contact between the shoulder 7 on the valvefitting 8 and the inner surface of the mixing tube 9.

The fuel supply to the generator 1 is controlled by the needle valve 10,which is located on the fuel inlet member 3. The ends of thelongitudinal bore of the inlet member 3 are closed by the plug screws11, and passage for the fuel is provided from the main supply pipe 12 tothe fuel inlet member 3 by a supporting pipe 13, which has ascrew-threaded connection at 14 with a cavity in the body member 6,which con nects directly with the main supply pipe 12. The supportingsupply pipe 13 also has a screw-threaded connection at 15 with the fuelsupply member 3.

The Bunsen burner effectis produced by the usual air openings in themixing tube 9,

which are controlled and hidden by the usual sliding collar 16. In theform shown, gas is delivered to two mantles 17 by way of tubes 18,depending from the body member 6, which connects with the mixing tube 9.The delivery of gas from the generator to the mixing tube 9 iscontrolled by a selfcleaning needle valve 8, in which the needle point19 projects through the tip 20 when the valve is closed. Fluid fuel isconduct ed to the mixer by the fuel supply members 12, 13, 3, 1, and 8.

The j-ointbetween the generator tube and the fuel inlet member 3 is ofnovel construction. The receiving end 21 of the generator 1 is providedwith a conical shoulder 22 which coacts with the sloping shoulder 23formed in the horizontal passage 24 in the fuel inlet member 3. There isenough clearance between that portion of the end beyond the shoulder 23and the wall of the passage 24 to form a path for the fuel from theinlet pipe 3 to the transverse bore 25 and the connecting longitudinalbore 26 in the generator end 21. The generator islocked in position by ascrew cap27, which is also provided with sloping shoulders 28, whichcoact with the sloping shoulders .29 in the passage 24. The shoulders22, 23, 28, and 29, together form a double cone joint, which, withslight pressure, becomes fluidtightj To start the lamp, an auxiliarybibulous torch 30 is lighted and inserted through an opening in thecasing 4, to occupy a position near the horizontally disposed generator.As soon as the generator is heated, the lamp is ready to start.

The part 31 which appears in full lines in Fig. 1 is a spider whichsupports the casing 4.

In operation, the generator 1s first heated to a temperature which willvaporize the fuel, then fuel is admitted to the generator by opening theneedle valve 10 in the oil inlet pipe 3. The flow of the gas from thegenerator may be controlled by the needle valve 8, but the main functionof the needle point is to clean the outlet orifice. Gas is delivered tothe mixing tube 9, and the pro portion of air to give a Bunsen burnermantle flame is obtained by controlling the air supply with the usualsliding collar 16.

The mixing tube delivers the mixed gas to a passage in the body member,from which there are two delivery pipes 18, to which are secured theusual inverted type mantles 17. As soon as the burners are started, theheat from the burners is communicated to the generator which is locatedabove and between the burners. The principal source of difficulty in theoperation of this class of hydrocarbon lamp has been that the generatorbecomes clogged, and the operation of the lamp is suspended, owing tothe inability of the repairer to touch the generator until the lamp hascooled off, and then the removal of the generator could only beaccomplished by dismantling the lamp, which requires the use of specialtools, and special skill in replacing the parts to insure gas tightjoints. In the lamp here shown, the generator can be readily removed asa unit, because the fluid-tight joint is exterior of the casing, and isusually cool enough so that it can be loosened with the fingers andentirely removed from the lamp without disturbing any other part of thelamp. This construction makes it possible to rapidly remove a faultygenerator or gas tip and insert an operative one without the use of anytools and without stopping the operation of the lamps more than a fewminutes.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shownand described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim 1. The combination of a pair of fuel supply members, one havinga passage therethrough and having conical seats at both ends of saidpassage, the other said member having a screw-threaded end extendingthrough said passage, a shoulder on said other member adapted to fit oneof said seats, and a cap fitting said threaded end and having a shoulderadapted to' fit the other of said seats, for the purpose specified.

2. In a hydrocarbon burner, the combination of a fuel supply memberhaving a passage therethrough, conical seats at both ends of saidpassage, a generator having a reduced and screw-threaded end smaller indiameter than said passage and adapted to extend through said passage, ashoulder on said generator adapted to fit one of said seats, and a screwcap threaded on said generator and having a shoulder adapted to fittgedother of said seats, for the purpose spec- 1 e 3. In a hydrocarbonburner, the combination of a fuel supply member, a passage through saidmember, seats at both ends of said passage, a generator having anintegral shoulder adapted to fit one of said seats and having a reducedpart extending through said passage and threaded at its end, and a capthreaded on said end and having a shoulder shaped to fit the other ofsaid seats and adapted to coact therewith to form a fluid-tightconnection between said member and generator, and said reduced part having therein an interior cavity communicating with said passage betweensaid seats.

Signed at Chicago this 8th day of November, 1910.

MARTIN ROCKSTEAD. Witnesses:

ELIZABETH M. LONERGAN. J. \VILLARD BOLTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

